2003 GMC Sierra 2500

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MANEUVER A BOAT INTO THE WATER, THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE COMPLETE BRAKE LINE WAS CORRODED. THE BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THE BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,583 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,566. UPDATED 09/29/10. *LJ UPDATED 10/13/10/*LJ THE DEALER FOUND THREE BRAKE LINES RUSTED SEVERELY. UPDATED 10/19/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINE CORRODED AND RUPTURED WHILE HE WAS DRIVING DOWN A HILL AT 25 MPH. HE WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH WENT DOWN TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP. THE CONTACT THEN SAW BRAKE FLUID LEAKING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHERE THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT MANUFACTURER WOULD DECIDE IF THEY WOULD ASSIST IN THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 76,948.

I WAS DRIVING MY '03 GMC SIERRA 2500HD ON A HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH, WHEN I HAD TO SLOW DOWN, TO AVOID HITTING A VEHICLE SLOWING DOWN IN FRONT OF ME. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES, NO HARDER THAN I NORMALLY WOULD, AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, WITH VERY LITTLE TO NO STOPPING ACTION FROM THE BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN BY DOWNSHIFTING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP, WHILE PULLING ONTO THE SHOULDER. MY TRUCK HAD TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE ALONG THE DRIVERS' SIDE FRAME RAIL HAD RUPTURED DUE TO CORROSION. MY EMERGENCY BRAKE ASSEMBLY ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST ON IT, AS WELL AS DEFECTIVE BRAKE SHOES. THE TOTAL COST TO REPAIR THE BRAKE LINE CAME TO APPROXIMATELY $450.00, AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE REPLACEMENT CAME TO AROUND $900.00. THE REST OF THE BRAKE LINES ARE ALSO VERY CORRODED, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. I WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $1,450 TO REPLACE THE REMAINING BRAKE LINES ON THE TRUCK. *TR

THE BRAKE LINE ON MY 2003 GMC SIERRA RUPTURED FROM CORROSION BETWEEN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE CONTROLLER AND THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THE RUPTURE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FIRE WALL. I WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK AND HEARD A RELEASE OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AIR FROM AIR BRAKES, THIS OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS LESS THAN A MINUTE APART. I NEW THE NOISE WAS FROM MY TRUCK BUT I WASN'T SURE FROM WHERE. I PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WALKED AROUND THE TRUCK AND DETERMINED I DIDN'T HAVE A LOW TIRE. WITH THE TRUCK STILL IN PARK I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES, WHICH LED TO THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURING. I SAW STEAM FROM THE BRAKE FLUID THAT SPRAYED ONTO THE MANIFOLD. I WAS ABLE TO RETURN SAFELY TO MY HOME, WHICH WAS LESS THAN TWO MILES FROM WHERE I STOPPED THE TRUCK. I VISUALLY INSPECTED MY BRAKE LINES AND SAW CORROSION IN THE AREA OF THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURE. *TR

ON NOV. 14 2008 MY 2003 GMC SIERRA 2500 HD 4X4 BRAKE LINES FAILED. THE GMC DEALER SERVICE CONSULTANT STATED THAT 1 OF MY FORWARD LINES HAD FAILED DUE TO CORROSION AND THAT 3 MORE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. THAT THEY WOULD FAIL AT ANY TIME. WITH ONLY 56,292 MILES ON THE TRUCK AND NOT LIVING ON THE GULF COAST I WAS SURPRISED TO SAY THE LEAST. I HAD TO PAY $ 1209.69 TO GET THE LINES REPLACED AT THE DEALER. *TR

2003 GMC SIERRA DENALI WITH BRAKE LINE FAILURE PROBLEMS. *TGW THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF A VERY SOFT PEDAL AND SOMETIMES THE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR BEFORE STOPPING. THE DEALER CLAIMED NOTHING WAS WRONG. THE CONSUMERS WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES, ON AN INCLINE, SHE TRAVELED BACKWARDS OUT OF CONTROL AND STRUCK THE NEIGHBORHOOD SIGN. SHE EXPERIENCED NECK AND BACK PAIN. THE CONSUMER ARRIVED AT THE SCENE TO FIND MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING DOWN THE FRAME FROM ONE OF THE BRAKE LINES LOCATED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE BRAKE LINES HAD EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND FAILED. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO STOP, THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED. THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED WITH A HOLE COMPLETELY THROUGH. THE CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LINE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE SECOND TIME THE INCIDENT HAPPENED THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE BRAKE LINE SYSTEM. *JB

DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP ON HIGHWAY FROM APPROX. 45MPH, DUE A TRACTOR TRAILER SUDDENLY STOPPING, ABS BRAKE SYSTEM STARTED TO FLUCTUATE, BUT TRUCK DID NOT STOP NORMALLY. AVOIDED COLLISION BY VEERING TO SIDE OF ROAD. LEFT FRONT BRAKE LINE, AT CLIP NEAR WHEEL, LEAKED BRAKE FLUID THEREBY PREVENTING QUICK STOP. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AFTERWARDS, THERE WAS SEEMED TO BE NO SECONDARY HYDRAULIC SYSTEM PRESSURE FOR REAR BRAKES. EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS HARDLY EFFECTIVE.TURNS OUT ALL BRAKE LINES ARE SEVERELY CORRODED IN NEARLY ALL AREAS, EVEN UNDER HOOD. TRUCK HAS 50,000 MILES AND IS 6 YEARS OLD. HAVE ALSO PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED SUDDEN POWER STEERING FAILURE DUE TO POWER STEERING LINE CORROSION AND FLUID LOSS. POWER STEERING SYSTEM PROVIDES HYDRAULIC BOOST FOR BRAKES, THEREFORE BRAKES ARE IMPACTED ALSO. BRAKE AND POWER STEERING LINES SEEM TO BE MADE OF STEEL WITH INCORRECT OR POOR ALLOYS, THEREBY ACTING LIKE A SACRIFICIAL ANODE ON THE TRUCK, AS EVIDENCED BY THE RUST THROUGHOUT THE LINES, VS. LOCALIZED RUST. BRAKE LINES AND POWER STEERING LINES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. STILL HAVE SEVERAL RUSTY LINES FOR INSPECTION IF NEEDED. *TR

MY TRUCK ONLY HAS HALF OF IT'S BRAKING POWER. THE BRAKE PADS ARE RUSTED TO THE SLIDES & HAVE NOT MOVED FOR A VERY LONG TIME THE ROTORS ON ALL 4 WHEELS ARE COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN RUST. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL BRAKES. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO GMC FOR SERVICE [OIL CHANGE] & THEY STATED THE REAR ROTORS WERE "VERY RUSTY". I ASKED THE SERVICEMAN WHAT TO DO & HE SAID EITHER I NEEDED TO HAVE THE ROTORS TURNED OR THE BRAKES WOULD WEAR OUT PREMATURELY. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME NOW [AFTER LOOKING AT THE BRAKES PERSONALLY] THAT THEY WERE NOT WORKING OR THE ROTORS WOULDN'T BE RUSTY AT ALL. THERE WAS NEVER ANYTHING SAID ABOUT THE BRAKES NOT WORKING OR THE EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE OF A 3/4 TON TRUCK GOING DOWN THE ROAD WITH ONLY HALF OF IT'S BRAKING POWER. I TALKED TO THE BBB AND THEY SAID WHEN I TOOK THE TRUCK IN IT HAD 48000 MILES ON IT & WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS SITUATION STARTED BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED BUT I WAS NOT AWARE OF IT. MY TRUCK IS A 2003 AND I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF IT [SERVICED REGULARLY AND GARAGE KEPT] AND THERE IS NO REASON THE BRAKES SHOULD HAVE RUSTED THIS WAY UNLESS INFERIOR PARTS OR WORKMANSHIP IS INVOLVED. I KNOW TWO OTHER PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR TRUCKS AND ONE OF THEM HAS EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AS MINE. WE LOOKED AT HIS AFTER I DISCOVERED MY PROBLEM. HE, AS I, WERE UNAWARE OF THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF GENERAL MOTORS TRUCKS OUT THERE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE OF. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OR AT LEAST AN INDEPENDENT STUDY ON THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION BEFORE SOMEONE DIES IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, [XXX] *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAVE A COMPLAINT SIMILAR TO COMPLAINT NOS.10083555,10244075 AND 10151690. I OWN A 2003 GMC SERRIA PICKUP WITH 28,000 MILES. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT I HAD NO EMERGENCY BRAKE AND NO REAR BRAKES. THE DEALER WANTED ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. I FELT IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. GMC REP CAME AND HE WANTED ME TO PAY HALF. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT THE OUTCOME OF OTHER COMPLAINTS. *TR